As of Thursday, more than 26,000 people had been evacuated as parts of Malaysia‘s towns and villages were flooded as rescuers on board rescued families trapped on rooftops and got others to safety. One of them died when his car was swept away by floodwaters.
The southern state of Johor, which borders Singapore, has been hardest hit, with some 25,000 people displaced to relief centers in schools and community halls. That number had more than doubled by Tuesday, officials said. Five other states were also hit by flooding after back-to-back rains inundated the region on Wednesday.
The country is experiencing its sixth straight spell of heavy rain since the start of the annual monsoon season last November, the meteorological department said, warning it could last until April.
In December, tens of thousands of people were also evacuated due to flooding.
Rains will continue in Johor and other parts of the country which could lead to further flashflooding on Thursday, the department warned.
Social media posts showed roads collapsed due to flooding, vehicles and homes submerged in muddy water and shops closed after heavy rains.
In Johor state, authorities say a man on his way to work at an oil palm plantation has been found dead after rescuers found his car swept away by floodwaters.
Footage released by the National Flood Disaster Agency showed rescuers wading chest to chest through water in parts of Johor state to help victims trapped in their homes and carrying babies to safety in buckets.
The agency has issued warnings that waters in 25 rivers across the country have reached dangerous levels. There have been 102 landslides since November due to heavy rains, the data showed.
